Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-18
THE $4,000 LICK LENSES.
Safe On the Mountain Without Suffering
from Jolt or Jar.

Safe On the Mountain Without Suffering
from Jolt or Jar.
Mount Hamilton (CaL) Letter In n. Y Herald.
During the dsy several visitors had ar
rived from San Jose and were very anxious
to get view Of the lenses-the great
thirty -six-inch fiint-glass and crown
glass, both of which form the objective
Tor the Lick telescope, and which ar
rived few days ago in charge of Cap
tain Floyd. They were inclosed in q
circular steel case, separated about eight
inches from each other and
tightly held in position by
means of steel bolts. They
were packed in a large wooden box, Sc
Curely braced and brought out from alvin
Clark & Sons establishment at Cam
bridge, Mass, in q special car. Every
care was taken In their transportation,
and when taken from the box they were
placed in a brick vault guarded by two
iron doors. The Herald correspondent
was allowed to inspect them. The doors
OF the vault were opened, and, following
Captain Floyd, the lenses were
seen standing on end, securely
locked within their steel case. This
case is simply a ring of steel some ten
inches in width, so that the outer faces
OF both lenses were easily inspected. The
crown glass has three black bubbles al
most in the center of the disk, less than
half an inch apart and about the size of
the head OF an ordinary pin. The spots
undoubtedly detract from the beauty and
finish of the glass, but as Professor New
comb of the Naval Observatory; Pro-
lessor Hastings OF Yale, and Professor
Burnham of Chicago, composed the COM
mittee of experts to examine them, there
can, it is supposed, be little doubt that
these blemlshes will not detract from the
usefulness OF the glass. The tiint-glass
appeared to be perfect.
81 had great deal of trouble and wor-
~" said Captain Floyd, "to decide upon
the best way in which to bring the glasses
from Cambridge to Mount Hamilton
without injury. They were insured in
the first place for their value-or rather
their cost, $5l 900. The glasses were
first wrapped in separately in twenty
thickneSses of soft cotton cloth drawn
very lightly. Next to the cloth was
3 thick layer of cotton batting and
then layer of paper. A box made of
wood and lined with felt was so prepared
That the paper and felt came together.
The lenses with this covering were packed
tightly IN this box and braced. Outside
of the wooden box was steel box about
the shape OF cube, the wooden box con-
forming to the shape of the lenses. This
steel cube was placed inside another
steel box or chest, and by means of spiral
springs prevented from striking against
the sides of the outer box. The outer
chest was packed with asbestos to
render it fire proof and both were
made air tight and water proof. In
bringing the box out to California it was
suspended from strong wooden frame
by means of pivots end turned one-qusr-
ter around every day during its ride out
here This was to prevent any molecular
disarrangement ia the glass and avoid the
danger of polarization, it being feared
that the Earring of the train would disturb
the arrangement of the molecules unless
the position of the glass was daily changed
and all lines of disturbance thus broken
up.n